Now is the time... To Get Up

Though a righteous man fall seven times, he will rise again… Proverbs 24:16

Colin was busy working on paperwork in the office last night and I was working in the den next door. All was quiet when suddenly there was a crash, followed by a thud and various other noises. Not a word from Col. I jumped up to see if he was all right and found him getting up off the floor, the office chair lying on it’s side along with papers and a folding table also caught up in the spill.

Apparently the chair had collapsed. At first it wasn’t obvious as I picked it up, but sure enough when I put some weight on it the tell-tale crack appeared in one of the castored legs. Obviously it had been cracked for sometime and was just waiting to let go. Actually it was my office chair, I’m glad it didn’t happen when I was sitting on it!

We put great faith in our furniture and just expect that it will withstand our weight when we sit on it. I don’t think twice about whether or not the chair will hold me when I sit down in it. We are the same with elevators, aircraft, cars and trains. We get on and expect to get off safely at the other end. Well most of us do anyway.

We also put our trust in parents, relatives, friends, people, pastors, Christian organizations and other things and sometimes they let us down unexpectedly, just like Col’s chair. It is much more difficult to recover from a relationship crash with people close to us, and even more so if it involves a Christian. We have such high expectations of fellow Christians and can feel very confused and devastated when they let us down or don’t meet the expectation we have set for them. It is so much more of a test when our emotions are involved.

Sometimes we let ourselves or the Lord down and can retreat into a pity party of anger and self condemnation. I did that once for a whole month! But we have to get up again and go on, and the sooner we do it the better we’ll be.

The truth is, we are all on a journey and not one of us is perfected….. yet. We are all a work in progress, even those we look up to as more mature in their walk with the Lord than we are. Each of us is able to take a tumble. The Apostle Paul warns that each of us must be careful if we think we can stand strong because we may just fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

It is very disappointing when mature Christians fall into sin or let us down by their actions towards us, but take it as a test and allow God’s love, forgiveness and grace to lift you above the disappointment or failure. Pray for those who hurt you, then get up and go on and make sure you allow yourself to trust again or you may well become bitter and cynical which will cripple you in your effectiveness in the Kingdom. Remember that we are to treat others as we want them to treat us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to extend forgiveness and grace to those who hurt me and let me down, remembering that I may be the next one to need their forgiveness. Amen.

Now is the time... To Forget

…….. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…. Philippians 3:13 (NLT)

As I posted the poem ‘TODAY’ to my blog this verse popped into my mind and I feel compelled to write on the subject of forgetting because it is a major part of being able to live today well.

If anyone had a lot to regret it was the Apostle Paul. He had been a party to murder and the persecution and misery of many believers, yet God in all his love had reached down and transformed his life and called him to be joined to those whom he had previously persecuted. Can you imagine what would have happened if Paul had not been able to push beyond his past and live in his new TODAY?

When he penned this verse Paul didn’t mean that he did not remember what he’d done in his ‘previous life’; he wrote about it in Galatians (1:13), but he no longer allowed his past to affect his present. The earlier part of our key verse today reads No dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race….

Yes, I too have done things I am ashamed of; things I wished I had done differently, and there are things I did not do that I wish I had done. There are things that were done to me that have caused me grief and have affected who I am, BUT GOD has given me TODAY to remember who I am in Christ. I am a brand new creation, loved unconditionally, forgiven and gifted for his purpose (Ephesians 2:8-10). His grace is available to me for the purpose of accomplishing every good work that he has planned for me to do…… including writing this devotional.

If my focus is continually on my past; what was done to me and the sins I have committed, then I will not be free to walk in today in the truth that God has set me free from the past to walk in his light. Yes, we all have regrets but that may not be our focus. Our focus is Christ who is our ‘NOW LIFE’. Remember, whatever we focus most of our attention on…………… that is our idol.

A major key to forgetting is to forgive. We must forgive ourselves, and forgive others. Yes we can do it because Christ is in us with all his grace available to help us do it. To be free we must forgive.

Rise from the ashes of the past ………… look to what lies ahead. You are free from your past……… if you allow yourself to be. Christ has freed you to live in his new dimension of eternal life which begins here on earth as we enter the kingdom of God.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your gift of grace which empowers me to do all that I need to do in order to walk away from my past and into the life you have planned for me. Amen

Now is the time... To Share

Share each other’s troubles and problems and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Tragic news recently of yet another untimely death. Lately it has been news of young people killed in speeding accidents but today it was the suicide of a 40 year old fashion designer at the peak of his career, the world at his feet. My question is; What was going on in his mind that he could not come to terms with? and Did he have anyone to talk to about what was going on for him?

Some of us share our thoughts and feelings quite freely….. sometimes too freely! But for others it is more difficult, for some almost impossible. Perhaps this young man didn’t feel he could share his heart and if so, why? It seems to me that the fashion industry encourages a very artificial lifestyle. Perhaps there are many like him who wear masks that hide what is really happening on the inside. So too, I suspect that we would be amazed if we could know how many people around us, yes Christians as well, who are hiding heartaches and burdens that are too much for them to bear. The problem is that we usually only find out about them when it’s too late.

How can we help to change this trend in our sphere of influence? As always we have to start with our best example, Jesus. It was the time of his betrayal, he knew what was before him, and he knew that this was why he had come to earth. He was God in the flesh, King of Kings and Lord of Lords but he was not too proud to ask for prayer support from his disciples. In Matthew 26:38 we find him in the Garden of Gethsemane with his three closest friends, Peter, James and John. He said to them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.” He asked for their help in his darkest hour. We are not sure how long they stayed awake and prayed for him but the important thing I want to take out of this passage is that Jesus bared his soul to his friends. He shared his burden.

There is a saying that a burden shared is a burden halved. I think there is some truth in that. In bringing our troubles into the light, a lot of their power to depress us is taken away. Many of us, particularly if we have been Christians for a long time, seem to have the feeling that we are supposed to ‘have it all together’; that we should not show weakness or vulnerability. If Jesus could do it, I venture to say that we should too. Doing this may just help people to feel that they too can share their heart or need and find a place of support in their trials. It’s hard to share with someone who has it all together.

Let’s aim to be honest with our own needs, and also caring and confidential so that we can be a safe listening ear for those who may need to unburden their soul and be encouraged and strengthened through our loving prayer support.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that I can be honest about my vulnerabilities and burdens. Help me to not only know how to listen to others but also to allow others to share my burdens too. Help me not to be a prisoner of my problems. Amen

Now is the time... To Live in Today

This is the day that the Lord has made, we will be glad and rejoice in it Psalm 118:24

Today, Lord, is your gift to me
One day to live my life
In a way that brings you joy.
A day filled with moments…
Moments in time to
breathe
remember
be still
laugh
cry
enjoy
and be thankful……….
Not only for your great love
but for family
friends
food
and fun.
Moments to live – one at a time
savouring
centering
loving
encouraging
appreciating
and strengthening others


Squeezing every drop of life and energy and joy from this moment
For it is precious, never to be repeated.
You created me for TODAY.


Prayer: Father, thank you for my life, help me to live it conscious of and thankful for your unconditional love and the gift of TODAY. Amen

Now is the time... To Come Clean

…..the time is coming when everything will be revealed; all that is secret will be made public. Matthew 10:26

The other day I switched my range hood light on and was horrified to see that the black glass stove top was badly in need of a clean; it had been missed when we’d cleaned up in the morning. The grime had been hidden until the light came on.

However, a much more shocking example came to our Australian TV screens recently when a millionaire businessman disappeared between Melbourne airport and his home. His car was found a day or two later and then after a few more days police discovered his remains and quickly arrested two people for his murder. It was all very puzzling and strange but what transpired was that this seemingly very respectable man had been leading a very double life.

He is not around to live through the shame but sadly his poor wife, and their 2 children, in their late teens, are left behind not only to grieve the death of their husband and father but also to somehow deal with the shock and shame of his other life as a ‘swinger’. I cannot begin to imagine what these dear people are suffering right now.

The lesson that comes so clearly from this story is that our actions always affect others. We have a choice to live by God’s word, in obedience to its truth and guidance or we can choose to do things that go against God’s way. How we choose will either bring life or death.
Even in the smaller things in life we can lead a double life. We can put on a happy, gracious and smiling face to the world outside our door but in our home we can be angry, unreasonable and tyrannical.

We can be a pillar of the church or society and yet have secret vices and hidden sins that hold us captive. We see this revealed on a regular basis these days. Satan traps us into such bondages but he doesn’t mind at all when we get found out. He is a ruthless destroyer who will lie to us to get us to do things that will destroy us. We will get found out one way or another, because one day God’s light is going to shine in such a way that everything will be revealed. It may be sooner, it may be later, but it will happen.

It’s time to come clean. God’s grace is available to us to help us do what is right and get cleaned up. We need to do it not only for our own sake but for the sake of those who are being hurt, or will be hurt, by our double life. Remember King David’s sin of adultery was revealed by the prophet Nathan and David repented. Perhaps you need to pray his prayer…. (Psalm 51:10,12).

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart O God; renew a right spirit within me…… Restore to me again the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you. Amen

Now is the time... To Wait Patiently

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalm 37:7 (NLT)

Since the spring we have many more kookaburras in our area. For my overseas readers, these are the native Australian birds with the funny call that sometimes sounds like laughing. It has been funny listening to the baby birds trying their voices out. Some very odd sounds come out at times which surely cause us to laugh.

One of the annoying things about kookaburras is that they seem to want to have the first word in the morning and the last word at night. I can cope with the night thing, it’s just the morning that is annoying and inconvenient because they usually try and beat the dawn and in summer that means they are shouting outside our window long before we are ready to rise for the day. The way I’ve learned to cope is to think “Oh good, I have another hour to sleep.” But this morning a thought came from the Holy Spirit that I need to share.

Many of us have been faithfully sharing God’s love with family, friends and neighbours over many years and we are still waiting for them to come into the Kingdom. We have tasted the new life in Christ, we know the peace that it brings, we know the joy of leaving our destructive ways behind and we know how much better it is to do things God’s way, and we want the same for those we care about.

That is not a bad thing at all, in fact it is what we are to work towards but sometimes we get impatient and think that the process is taking too long, so we try to help it along a bit more. In doing so we can become like the kookaburras; trying to wake people up before they are ready. People who do not know Christ are, in a way, sleeping. Their spirit is not awake to the spirit of God, and sometimes it’s not yet their time. Remember the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything (Eccles. 3:1). The Apostle Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, God gave the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:6). It is good to remember that others will water the seed we have planted, but it is God who will finally cause the plant to bear fruit.

Don’t become like the screeching kookaburras in your eagerness to see the increase. The person may not be ready to ‘wake up’ yet. God is faithful and he will bring forth fruit in its due time. In fact he is keener than you are to see that person in his Kingdom. Keep faithfully praying and loving and waiting expectantly for the Holy Spirit to bring the new life. It is your time to exercise the fruit of the Spirit – patience!

Dear Lord, forgive my impatience, I believe that you will answer my prayers for my loved ones, help me to wait patiently for them to come into your Kingdom of light. Amen

Now is the time... To Ponder His Glory

The heavens tell of the glory of God, the skies display his marvellous craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is silent in the skies; yet their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to all the world. Psalm 19:1-4(NLT)

The almost full moon shone brightly through the trees and the gleam of Mars joined the display as we bade our guests farewell. A fresh joy at the wonder of God’s amazing creative and sustaining power settled upon me and a sense of thankfulness for the beauty that is ours to observe in nature. Such glory which has no other plausible explanation apart from intelligent design. Yet many in their pride and need for self sufficiency, continue to deny our glorious God. Psalm 53:1 says “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.”´

To know that there is an awesome, reliable, faithful creator holding our universe on a steady course (Colossians 1:16-17) is very comforting in a world which seems to be deteriorating before our eyes. Yes mankind needs to be a good steward of what we have been given and entrusted with, but God is the one who will always have the final say.

Taking time to enjoy, appreciate and think on the beauty of creation and the One whose idea it all was is very energizing and faith-building. It does us good to wonder at his creativity and the diversity of all he has made. In fact it puts us and things in their proper perspective. It makes us realise how dependant we are upon him for everything. When I do this, a great thankfulness arises in my heart and my mouth can only utter his praise. Praising God is good for our soul.

It is so easy in the busyness of life to not take time to appreciate the world around us and so the problems and challenges of life take centre stage and become the biggest thing, when having God as the biggest ‘thing’ in our life is what brings things into balance and gives us peace.

Why don’t you take time today to look out the window and ponder the trees, walk at sunset and admire the view, or lift your face to the snowflakes and remember that each one is different, or cut an apple in half and examine its intricacy. His glory can be seen in all creation and remember that we were his final triumph, created in his image for his glory. Thank God for making you, YOU.

Prayer: Thank you dear Lord for the beauty of my world, thank you for the wonder and glory of all you created. Thank you for creating me in your image. Help me to bring glory to you in all my ways this day. You are indeed an awesome God. Amen